Swiftcurrent Creek Dovahkiin.

Something's come up and I'm not going to actually have any time to sit and write this, and I wanted to do it when my mind was clear. So here's the birthing thread, set for today (December 16th)! Private with the pups for the first round, and then I'll open it up for pack-mates. :)

When she first felt unfamiliar twinges in her abdomen, a flurry of emotions gripped Paarthurnax' still fragile heart. She'd been anticipating the tell-tale sensations for days, as her suspected due date had come and went: nervousness that the delivery of her babes would be as difficult as those her own mother had suffered through; fear that her babes would be born weak, only to perish in the days to follow; the concern for stillborns which, although expected, would likely bring her to her knees.

Privacy during the birth of a litter was the way of Samarkand she-wolves. When their time came, a wolfess of the desert would show her strength by seeking her own company to bring her offspring into the world, and Paarthurnax had wished for this from the very beginning. And so when the cramping in her uterus caused so much discomfort that she resorted to pacing the hollow she shared with Bazi, she requested that her pale companion let her be.

Hours crept by and dawn began to break, but the need to push did not come easy. She breathed in deep, the way Nita had taught her, and to the best of her ability she fought to remain in control of the situation. Pain coursed through her and it attempt to walk it off, Paar strode into the clearing beyond her den. Her entire frame began to shake with the building ache of her brutal cramps. Her head spun, leaving her feeling nauseous and dizzy, but Paar did not wish to seek comfort in her medical supplies just yet. Birthing her litter without the aid of pain relief was important to her, and she soldiered on.

As she made to return to her burrow, she felt something hot and slick at her rear. She hurried forth the few feet to her den's entrance and slipped inside, circled the nest a few times, then dropped heavily to her rump and lifted a trembling hind limb to examine her nether region. Paarthurnax discovered the breakage of her waters and, with it, the increased thrum of pain that accompanied contractions strong enough to make her cry out.

She pushed. And pushed, and pushed. After what felt like an eternity of heaving, the ashen form of her firstborn son was forced into the world beyond her womb.

Instinctively, she nipped away the umbilicus and gathered the tiny body of her new baby in a firm but gentle grasp, plucking him from the furs and dried grasses that made up her bed and settling him between her forepaws to break him free of the protective sack that he'd grown inside. She licked him clean, until the peppered silver of his fine fur was downy and soft, and tears trailed the lengths of her pale cheeks as she nosed her mewling pup toward her warm undersides. He bore the colours of his father, she observed, and stared at the writhing newborn for a long time before the need to push forced her to focus not on her little son, but the next child who was ready to make an appearance.

From her came another boy, Winter-white and much larger than the previous pup, strong and yowling loudly in defiance. She tended to him with utmost love, adoring already the voices of her cubs as she licked and cleaned their feathery pelts, and blinked happily down at them as they nosed around in search of willing teats.

When at last she bore a daughter, Paarthurnax' heart swelled. This child, when clean and dry, wore fur of various shades: deepest blacks, warm honey, chocolate, hot cinnamon and soft ivory. From the obsidian of her button nose to the mottled pink of her tiny paw pads, she was perfect. But there was no time to gaze down in awe at her three lovely, healthy babies; as another crippling contraction racked her frame, Paar prepared to deliver a fourth.

The pup that slid from her was frighteningly small, approximately half the size of his siblings before him. Paarthurnax tucked him against his litter-mates when she'd licked him dry, eager to maintain his body heat for fear that he may catch a chill. But he still cried out, as vocal as his brothers and sister, and despite her initial fear that the last of her brood was not as large as her other pups, she was content that her golden boy would be strong in his own way.

The entire day had dragged by, but Paarthurnax was more than happy with the final result. Four mewling, tiny bodies were nestled at her flank, each entirely different but equally loved. She looked upon them with utmost love and awe, before she closed her tired eyes and curled herself tightly about her brood of beautiful baby dragons.

Being pushed out from his mother's womb was not an enjoyable experience. He struggled and moved, trying to get back into the warmth but it was all in vain. He felt someone carrying and dumping him on something, moments later a rough tongue ran across his body. The little Angelus Mortis squealed loudly, piercing the air, announcing his arrival to this strange new world. It wasn't long before his mother nosed him towards her undersides. Being the firstborn of the litter had advantages, he got to pick the teat of his choice and nurse without gaps in between. The silver pup lifted his head away from the teat for a brief moment to squeal loudly once more. It was peaceful.

But obviously when his siblings started to arrive, the peace was disrupted. Trajan didn't like the jostling and fat bodies at his sides, interrupting his peaceful feeding. Who did they think they were? He stood his ground and nursed with almost something like anger. This is mine. Mine. Only for me. Being both blind and death, there was nothing much he could do to identify his siblings, but it didn't really matter to the little Angelus Mortis, his mind was concentrated only on the warm taste of his mother's milk sliding down his throat.

In the days and months to come, his brothers and sister would have to endure his rule because he was the Alpha, the little fighting prince, the warrior Emperor of the litter and he would not tolerate anyone who stood in his way. Suckling fiercely, the little silver boy established this with the loud rumbles and little kicks and thrusts of his fat body. Telling the others he was the ruler here, the boy had a lot of growing to do if he wanted to keep this title. He had inherited his mother's desire to learn and his father's fierceness and stubbornness that helped him with his goal.

When she was forced from the warm, comfortable place where she'd spent her entire life, of course she protested. As soon as she was separated from her mother by the removal of what had once been her lifeline, Paarthurnax' only daughter cried out as loud as her tiny lungs would allow. She yowled continuously as her mother lovingly caressed her slick fur with firm sweeps of her tongue; writhed as she desperately sought a comfortable place away from the other writhing bodies at her sides; whimpered pitifully as she was later guided to a waiting teat and even continued to mewl softly as hot, sweet liquid filled her eager mouth.

It was then that she felt truly at peace. She suckled greedily, drinking deep and kneading at her dam's undersides to encourage greater milk flow until her belly was filled. Following this came a great sense of sleepiness and, when her mother curled herself protectively around the four newborns, the unnamed babe was swift to snuggle close and let herself be swept away by light slumber.

Unlike his three elder siblings, the pup who would be called Relonikiv did not mind being born. With a small smile already twitching his lips, he let himself drift down the river that is life (or, more literally, the birth canal), content to go with the flow. He slipped from between his mother's hind legs with a loud cry, though it wasn't one of protest but a sort of happy declaration: Hooray, I'm borned!

He made almost no sounds as his mother licked him clean and dry, smiling all the while and batting at her with spastic movements of his tiny forelegs—and they were tiny. He was easily half as big as his litter mates. Like with most things so far, Relonikiv didn't mind this. He bumped gently against soft, flabby bodies and found his way to a teat, latching onto it and nursing with muted enthusiasm.

When he sensed a particularly domineering presence (his eldest brother, Trajan), the pale puppy rolled onto his side, his whiplike tail curling along his pink belly as he submitted. He was the natural Omega to his brother's Alpha. He smiled blindly and made a quiet woof sound. The moment passed and he rolled back onto his tummy, wiggling now just for the sake of it, his teeny nose eventually bumping into one of Paarthurnax's toes.

Being released from where Julius had developed was both a blessing and a curse. Sure, it had been warm and comfy in there, but it was starting to get cramped as he grew bigger. The journey out was a bit unsettlingly, as was the new feelings that surrounded him. The worst was the cold winter air, in which he responded with letting out a yowl-like sound in protest. Julius was soon guided to the teats, and he discovered that there were good new sensations too. The sweet milk was only one.

One of his fellow siblings flailed at him when he got too close, but Julius quickly decided to avoid it by staying out of reach. Even though he was the biggest, he didn't yet grasp the instinct of fighting for the best teat. The one he claimed as his gave him food without annoying him, so it would do. He suckled and fell asleep on and off, the thing attached to the teat sharing its warmth.

All welcome for the rest of the pack! Though it would probably make sense if @Bazi posts first...?

She was utterly exhausted, drained entirely of energy from the day's events, yet Paarthurnax could not let sleep take her just yet. Ignoring the weight of her eyelids, she gazed with sheer love and pride at her four perfect, beautiful children. Despite the stress, drama and guilt of leaving Shadow and Noctisardor Bypass, the new mother was certain that her heart had never felt so full.

Paarthurnax watched them carefully, focusing on each tiny body as they nosed and wriggled amongst themselves. For now they were so little and vulnerable, relying solely on her to provide for them, though she knew that it would not be this way forever. Soon they would be opening their eyes and finding their feet, testing their first words, getting into all sorts of trouble. She made a mental note to treasure the moments like this, as in time they would be too stubborn to tolerate her coddling.

Paar wondered if Bazi had informed the others of her labour when she'd been shoo'd from the den, or if she'd lingered outside the entire day. With a soft woof she hoped to attract her friend's attention, beckon her inside to meet the pups she'd been so looking forward to. Curiosity she watched the entrance to her hollow, keen to see the young wolfess'expression when first she looked upon the newest additions to Swiftcurrent.

Feel free to skip me in the next round or so.. Not sure if i'll be able to reply. Scim is just lurking in the background :)

It came sooner than expected -- word came to him that Paarthurnax had gone in to labor, and with a tired blink, the male had, not so gracefully, at first, grunted. Finally, sense had flooded him, and with a quick nod, the cinnamon Alpha was making his way to the borders, knowing he would have a few hours at least. Either way, Scimitar was a wolf of his word, and as much as he despised the thought of the silver beast sklulking within his borders, the Frostfur called for Shadow, beckoning him forward.

It seemed strange to him that the male would be away from his pack for so long -- was he a lone wolf now? Would he still have rule over his comrades, since he had not truly left Swiftcurrent Creek borders and the surrounding neutral territories? His scent was there.. But perhaps Scimitar misjudged, and the wolf had also slipped home as well. Or, perhaps even, his wolves eagerly awaited his turn, and Shadow was a far better leader than a follower.

"It's time," was all he offered, and with a nod of his muzzle, the regal would flick his tail before leading the silver male in to his lands.. And opening them for insight to the roman he would never want to give.

He made no conversation -- Paar was probably his closest friend outside of his siblings that he held, and even he did not feel comfortable as he finally led her ex-mate to her den entrance. With a nod, the tawny wolf stepped back, his form lumbering to a tall tree where he would take a seat and keep close watch -- should Shadow cause disruption, Scimitar would make good also on the promise to throw him out by his scruff.

When Paarthurnax asked for privacy, Bazi did as she was told. She lingered outside for some time, listening to her friend struggle through contractions and shuffle around the den. As the labour intensified, it drove the white female a little further away, until she the only thing she could hear were the peaks of the labouring wolf's agony. Bazi winced each time Paarthurnax cried out, but resisted the urge to cover her ears. One day, it would be her turn.

After what seemed like hours - and it probably was hours - she heard a voice. It was over. Bazi was on her feet and at the door within seconds, her heart beating so fast that she wasn't sure if it had stopped. She shuffled forward, lowering her head into the den. The air was sticky, and smelled strongly of 'birth' - Bazi knew it instinctively, though she could not break the scent down into its constituent parts.

"Are they here?" she whispered, plate-sized eyes fixed on vague outline of Paarthurnax's face. She knew the answer, but wanted an official invitation before stepping in to greet the little bundles that she could just about make out against the pale background of their mother's belly.

The Roman blinked tiredly as the call rose into the air, he did not move for a few seconds before realization swam through him and he shot out of his temporary living space and hurried over to the Creek border where Scimitar waited. His dislike for the agouti male in front of him had grown during their talk sometime ago, where the rest of the Creek wolves had gathered around him in defense or what he thought was for defense, like he was some kind of serial killer. But a mission was a mission, and its purpose was fulfilled. As long as he got what he needed, he really didn't care.

Scimitar led him into Swiftcurrent Creek territory, he knew it was an opportunity to study everything in case they had a war. A Roman was honorable, and only Greeks did this kind of sneaky stuff, but it was essential and useful so he took in everything he saw but threw them to the back of his mind. Of course, he did it subtly so the Alpha in front of him would hopefully not notice. Shadow felt a pang of guilt but pushed it away, it was necessary after all.

They arrived, the agouti Alpha lumbering over to a tree, probably to watch him in case he caused trouble. What was he going to do anyways? Murder Paar and all his pups? Idiot. But Shadow was nervous, the proud ruthless boy was nervous. Wouldn't any new father be nervous? So he paused, watched and did not move as Bazi moved towards the entrance. Gathering his courage and pulling himself together, the silver Praetor walked towards the doorway, standing just beside the white female northerner.

The pups were far too young and small—especially Relonikiv the Runt—to greet the new faces that arrived in the den. At first, Relonikiv didn't have the faintest clue they were there at all. Eventually, his tiny button of a nose picked up on their scents but concepts like numbers and others were still beyond him. Nonetheless, his small, puckered face crinkled into a smile as the sheer newness of everything inundated him.

Forgetting his mother's toe, Relonikiv squirmed into the crook of Paarthurnax's foreleg, unaware that not only his mother but his father and a few others watched him now, likely oohing and aahing over he and his brothers and sister. He unwittingly presented them with his rump as he wedged himself beneath his mother's sloping breastbone and, in doing so, made a happy, accidental discovery: his dam's foremost teat.

Instinctively, he opened his mouth and latched onto it. He drank some more, gluttonous despite his size, or perhaps because of it. Relonikiv did not let go until a rather watery burp forced the nipple from his mouth. Milk bubbles clung to his lip and a bit of the thin white liquid dribbled down his chin. Naturally, the tiny boy smiled through it all and even offered up a few happy squeaks.

When Scimitar's howl rose up for Shadow, Kaskara paused in her trek around the borderline and went to his side. She followed he and Shadow at a distance, having only come upon them partly into their journey, and watched the silver wolf as he turned his head only slightly this way and that. It was likely that he was studying their territory in case their tension turned into a full-out war, but Kaskara would not allow him to see anything of import. The way to Paar's den wasn't littered with battle plans, so what he saw was no different from what he might remember as a former member of the creek.

When they arrived, the cloying smell of birth filled the air around the den, and Kaskara joined her brother at the tree to observe the silver Roman from afar. Kas found that tidbit of information almost funny, considering she was also part Roman, raised by a wolf whose own family and upbringing was firmly entrenched in the old ways. She had never mentioned this to Shadow, of course, because it would only bring him a sick satisfaction. The dark warrior nudged her brother's shoulder gently as she seated herself near him, her two-toned eyes turned toward the den's entrance. Bazi was already there, and Shadow silently and almost abashedly approached.

Moving Bazi to the side! :)

Before she could hear a response, the pups' father stepped in beside her. Bazi yipped and bristled in surprise, scuttling sideways and away from the mouth of the den. It took her a few moments and some frenzied looking about to work out what was going on - Shadow's somber expression, Scimitar moving to stand a short distance away. Kaskara was quick to join him, and Bazi wondered how she could have missed the arrival of so many wolves.

She gave Shadow a stony look, nostrils flaring, but decided to give the family some privacy. Moments like these would be rare, if the pack's encounter with Shadow was anything to go by. Might as well let him say hello - and goodbye, to his children.

Bazi trotted to where the Frostfur siblings were seated, licking Kaskara's feathery cheek first and then - without thinking - bumped the crown of her head affectionately against Scimitar's shoulder. When she remembered herself, the young female took a quick (but miraculously dignified) step back, cleared her throat, and reversed into position next to Kaskara.

Bazi ducked her head at the entrance of the hollow, refraining from entering but very obviously desperate to catch a glimpse. The crimson Frostfur smiled softly for her, unfurling herself slightly from around her brood so that her ivory companion could see more clearly the four tiny bundles by her side. Paarthurnax' tail thumped as she parted her jaws to speak, to formally invite her den-mate inside, when another wolf cast his shadow inside. Surprised, Bazi jerked away, leaving the clear form of her former mate lingering at her door. Her heart sank a little, but knew that Bazi would have plenty of opportunities to share time with the pups.

She was not afraid, or nervous, or even awkward. Instead, she was proud. Proud to present to Shadow his three sons and his daughter, little wolves that they'd created through the love they'd once shared. Sleepily she smiled at the father of her children, and softly welcomed him; "come and see."

Paarthurnax dipped her muzzle then, allowing time for the sterling outrider to approach, then hovered her muzzle above the salt-and-pepper form of the boy who already greatly resembled his sire. "We have three sons and a daughter," she said gently, as not to disturb the delicate senses of her pups. "This is our firstborn. I wanted for you to name him, as we agreed. And since we have an equal number, I thought we'd share. You name two, and I'll name two?" She beamed up at her former partner, keen to read his expression. When they'd been together, Shadow had never seemed overly enthusiastic for a litter. Yet when he'd discovered her departure and sought her out, put two and two together and realised she had not gone entirely alone, his reaction had been one of a father who loved his children.

She would not deny him the right to see his offspring. When they came of age, she would herd them to the territory outskirts and give him the opportunity to bond with them. Their separation and feelings for each other did not have to get in the way of time shared as a family, and she certainly was not prepared to use her pups as a weapon against him. He was bitter and stubborn and arrogant and harsh... but she still cared deeply for him.

Silver eyes looked at Bazi briefly as she bristled and moved sideways, away from the entrance of the den, leaving him the only one standing by it. He looked away, missing the stony glance he got from the former snowy Alpha, but when she did not move back towards the mouth of the den, he thanked her silently. She would have plenty of time to interact with the pups soon enough, he didn't. Shadow did not move but waited to see if Paarthurnax would invite him in, not wanting to go without an invitation.

She smiled at him and spoke "come and see." Cautiously, carefully, the silver Roman moved into the den. As soon as his eyes fell upon his children, he sucked in a sharp breath, exhaling slowly. He opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out, his brain could not comprehend words. But the look in the new father's eyes, without any mask concealing anything, as they drifted from Paar to his children, spoke volumes. One with peppered silver fur, who resembled him greatly, another with fur of purest white, third, a various shades of colors, blacks, honey, chocolate, ivory. The last, the smallest of the litter, easily half the size of all of them with fur of spun gold and snow.

"We have three sons and a daughter," his former mate told him. He gazed at her, a large smile on his face, a proud, loving look in his liquid mercury eyes. "They're...they're perfect." he murmured softly. Paarthurnax's muzzle hovered over the form of the silver pup and spoke, "This is our firstborn. I wanted for you to name him, as we agreed. And since we have an equal number, I thought we'd share. You name two, and I'll name two?" Shadow nodded, gazing at the four of them, pondering what to call them.

The firstborn was not the largest, but that had its uses. "This one, touched by the North and the first of the bloodline. " he smiled, reaching for the tiny bundle of fur, touching him with his nose. "You shall be called Traianus, after one of the greatest Emperors of Rome. He was a brave general, a wise statesman, a kind leader. You shall be just as great, if not greater." he paused. "Trajan Marius, after one of the best leaders and one of the best generals."

The Roman gazed at the rest now, the boy of winter catching his eye. He smiled, "This one, as white and pure as snow. Our little Julius, named after the founder of the Roman Empire, you shall be great in your own way, he brought forth a new age, a new beginning and although he died too soon, he was forever remembered. And so will you." His silver eyes now turned to the little girl and the runt. "The little girl will be the best of the best," he spoke softly, "having you as a mother. And this little one here will be great in his own way. If I named him instead, I would have chose to name him Aetius, an eagle."

He rested now, content that their children were healthy little pups. "Will I be able to see them?" he asked Paar softly, his gaze never leaving the four slumbering puppies.

I just wanted to post once more to get three posts. :) <3

He couldn't speak for his siblings (or at all) but Relonikiv was not slumbering. They had been sleeping since the dawn of time; why take a nap right now? No, the littlest pup brushed his paws over his tiny, damp cheeks and then hiccuped even as his mother and father stood over their brood, giving them names. His little head twitched as he continued drinking in all the new smells and feeling out his small world.

At length, however, Relonikiv did grow weary. He found himself between his two older, larger brothers and he curled into a ball, then let out a great, happy sigh. He began to fall asleep, his little nose nodding toward his belly. It bumped into one of his back toes and he latched onto it, mistaking it for a teat. Too far gone to realize his error, Relonikiv contently sucked on his toe as he finally fell asleep.

Shadow inched forward, arching his neck to peer over her at the tiny bodies she'd unfurled herself from for him to see. The crimson Frostfur gazed up at her former lover's features, her heart aflutter at the sight of sheer love that bloomed there with the sight of his newborn pups. He then looked her way, his expression bright with appreciation, and Paarthurnax smiled right back.

She did not stop to consider the guilt she still felt at removing herself and unborn litter from Noctisardor Bypass, as well as ending her mateship with Shadow. Instead she focused on there and then, on the four healthy, beautiful bundles of the children they'd created together. As a pair she was certain that her unhappiness with the way things were would have made her a lousy mother; separated, their infants would surely thrive. And although she was loathe to think it, they would soon grow and develop the desire to pursue their own path - when they were old enough, they could easily uproot themselves from their birth pack and settle with that of their sire.

This was a concern for a later date, however, and Paarthurnax contented herself with the naming of her pups. Much to her expectation, Shadow took the lead to bestow upon their firstborn a title that linked him solely to his Roman background, but this did not bother her. She'd promised that to the ashen outrider before they'd even conceived, and with all the heartache Paar had roused, she intended to honour that vow. Shadow reached out to the son who resembled him most, and she stared with pride at the wolf who'd given her the greatest gifts she could ever have wished for.

He went on to name their second child Julius, a boy with a pelt of purest alabaster. He reminded her strongly of her own mother, Nita Frostfur, and had the the tell-tale signs of developing bold silver guard hairs much like the wolves of her bloodline. It was a trait that Paar herself had missed out on, while her brother Viinturuth wore the boldest mane of sterling she'd ever seen. She had wondered if her own pups would pick up the marking, and it seemed little Julius had the potential to reveal his own as he grew.

"Durnehviir Sarthaal, our little dragoness," she announced the name she'd chosen for her daughter, a child of the desert, and moved her warm copper eyes to settle her gaze on the girl's form. She shifted in her slumber, cooing softly, and carefully Paar shifted slightly to reach over and nudge the mottled pup closer to her warm undersides. When she settled once more, she turned her stare upon the smallest of the litter, her tiny golden eagle, and knew at once what he was to be called: "Relonikiv Aetius, then." She looked then to the already-named pale boy, and took it upon herself to give him a middle name of her choosing: "And Julius Miraak. A name for you, and a name for me."

Her tail thumped the ground at her rear, a velvet cinnamon lobe perked as she intently awaited her former partner's approval. When it came, Paarthurnax uttered no words in response, but continued to look lovingly upon her peaceful, dozing brood. When the silence broke with Shadow's gentle voice, she sought his gaze immediately. "Of course," she whispered, "I will not have you be absent from their lives completely." She wanted him to see them grow. It was unfortunate that he would very likely miss the first milestones - open eyes, first steps, first babbling words - but Paarthurnax could not deny him the right to know his children when they could be escorted beyond the Creek to share precious time with him.

Shadow nodded approvingly when Paarthurnax named his only daughter, both the names were not of Roman origin, they were the same exotic names Paar herself had. But the sterling outrider did not mind, she was the only girl of the whole litter and since the firstborn had names that were linked solely to his own background, it was only fair that one of the others had a name that had no Roman origin in it. His daughter would be a brilliant wolfess, with both his and Paar's genes in her, she would be the strongest of all and he knew when she grew up, she would most certainly attract the attention of the opposite sex. His heart clenched at the thought but quickly threw it away, she was still young and he would treasure all the moments he had with his children.

"Relonikiv Aetius, then." the runt would be the golden eagle of the litter. He might be smaller than the rest and most likely end up to be the Omega of the four siblings, but he would be great at other things, he would soar above the rest. He would be the glue, the one thing that kept everyone together. Of course, little Relon might not end up to be like that, but whatever he did, others would always recognize him, the shining golden bird.

Paar went on and finished the naming by giving Julius the middle name of Miraak. The new father gazed at his children lovingly, if anyone harmed his family, they would know the wrath of a Roman eagle. Sure, Paarthurnax was no longer his mate and bla bla bla, but they were his kids, and they were his family. And no matter what his ex mate said about them no longer being together, he would always love her, and deep inside she was also family. Nothing meant more to him than his loved ones.

"Yes," he finally murmured his approval of the names, his gaze lifted however when she spoke again. "I will not have you be absent from their lives completely." Shadow flashed her a brilliant smile, "Thank you Paar," he whispered gratefully. Casting one last loving look at his newly born children, the silver leader rose to his paws. "I should be going, Scimitar and the Creek wolves won't like me being here for so long."

His muscles relaxed at the nudge from his sister, though his eyes only briefly skimmed her before falling once more in the direction of the den. Having Shadow back wihtin his lands stirred a sick feeling to his gut -- as if somehow the silver male would somehow always get what he wanted, despite the simple fact that he deserved nothing. Donating sperm did not a father make, but it was Paarthurnax's call, and he would respect such a thing -- and after this, the Bypass wolf had best respect the Creek's borders.

He noted Bazi leave -- likely with hesitation, and as she came closer, he could feel his nerves on fire -- fully aware of her in the vicinity. He remained aloof, as if he did not watch her as she closed the distance between them, and was surprised when he felt the familiarity of her touch course through him. Blinking, he tilted his pale chin down as his turquoise eyes swept over her, catching her as she took a dignified step away, as if she too had surprised herself.

Clearing his throat, he leaned back slightly, as if nothing had happened, and instead, trained his eyes forward, counting the minutes down to when he could throw Shadow back out on his ass once more.

Shadow continued to gazed down at their brood and murmured his approval of the names she'd bestowed upon their daughter and youngest son. Paarthurnax gazed at the children also, as they snuggled among one another at her side. Her heart swelled with love and pride, and a smile rugged at the corners of her mouth as she settled her warm eyes on the form of little Relonikiv who found comfort in sticking his own toes.

The ashen outrider spoke once more to her, thanking her for the promise that he would not be entirely absent from the cubs' lives. Paarthurnax considered thanking him too, for creating with her those four beautiful babes. But instead she remained silent, not wishing to stroke Shadow's ego or give him any reason to hope that their family might one day reunite to become the solid unit he wished them to be. She blinked solemnly up at him as he made to excuse himself, and ignored his comment regarding Scimitar and the other Creek wolves - they had good reason to dislike his presence there, and he ought to have been counting his lucky stars that her Alpha had given him the opportunity to look upon his offspring on the day of their birth.

"Be safe," but somehow she knew that he would be careful on his route home. She gestured to her pups then, "we will see you soon," then waited for her former lover to depart.

Shadow kept his visit short. Bazi watched him step out, and cast a brief glance at Scimitar to see if he would follow before she moved briskly to the mouth of the den. The smell of freshly whelped babes had drowned out any lingering scent of their father before she got there. "I'll get you some food," she whispered into the darkness, still too nervous and unsure to do anything but linger outside - a trip to one of the more distant caches would buy her time to work up the courage to ask.

Last from me. :)

Last from me too. :)

The awkward exchange between Bazi and her brother did not go unnoticed, but Kaskara had the sense to ignore it and keep her mouth shut. They would have plenty of time to discuss their relationship later. Shadow moved from the mouth's den and made to leave, at which point Kaskara decided it would be okay for her to see the pups, even briefly. She didn't know their names, but stuck her head inside to take a look at the tiny babes. With a breath, she congratulated the mother and then left, not wanting to intrude any further.

As she trotted away, following Shadow and Scimitar at a distance, she wondered what life would be like in the creek now that they had pups again. Kas hoped it would be lively and fun, and relieve some of Scimitar's restless anxiety, too. Soon they would begin looking for a new place to live, but the pups would have to grow a bit more before anything happened in that arena.

While it might have felt like a long stretch for the Creek wolves to have Shadow within their lands, the cinnamon wolf could only assume it had seemed like fleeting seconds that the silver male had gotten to steal with his children.

Come the time to escort him away from Paarthurnax and his newly born children, the Frostfur remained quiet as he walked him from the lands -- partially because he wished for nothing more to do with the wolf, and partially because he couldn't grasp how much it might have hurt to have to be walked away from your children and knowing the next time you saw them, they would be completely different.

Come the borders, the Creek Alpha gave a swift nod to the Bypass Alpha, waiting for him to disappear from sight before he would go seek his own solitude. He would see the pups soon, but he knew Paarthurnax likely needed rest rather than more visitors.